It wasn’t pretty at time for the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Chocolate and White traded goals and leads with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in another wild game, but the first overtime in the season series went to the Chocolate and White. Alex Limoges tallied his third goal of the year just over halfway through the extra session to lift Hershey to its tenth win of the young season by a 5-4 final.
Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Goal Scorers
The two teams traded goals in the first two periods of play. Hershey vaulted out to a 2-1 lead after one period of play with goals by Joe Snively and Jimmy Huntington sandwiching a goal from Valtteri Puustinen. The second period saw the goals coming fast and furious with the Penguins tallying three to two for the Bears. Jansen Harkins had a pair of goals while Jagger Joshua’s first American Hockey League goal lifted the Penguins to four on this night. Huntington got his second on a fortunate bounce and Vincent Iorio’s first goal of the season kept the game square into extra time.
In the extra stanza, Limoges snapped the overtime goal past Joel Blomqvist on a combination play up the ice with Iorio and Ethen Frank. The win gives Hershey the extra point and a little breathing room after the Hartford Wolf Pack had caught up to them in points earlier in the day. Both teams bank points after less than stellar outings to end their respective weekends, and the Bears earned their third win in four games.
Thankful for Good Hockey
Wednesday’s game marked the first of three consecutive midweek matchups between the two teams. They’ll meet again at Giant Center on the day before Thanksgiving and again at Mohegan Sun Arena to round out the month of November. Half of the season series will be complete before the calendar flips to December, and so far it’s been as tight of a battle as ever between the two perpetual rivals. Each team has two wins in four games after splitting last season’s series down the middle with six wins each. No matter the situation, this Pennsylvania rivalry series is an important test in the regular season.
In a nice bit of history, Bears head coach Todd Nelson earned his 363rd win, moving him into sole possession of 11th in AHL history in terms of wins. With a Calder Cup recently added to his resume over the summer, it’s safe to say his hockey recipe has been as successful in Hershey as it’s ever been. Nelson and the Bears will be back in action for a home-and-home series with the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday and Sunday. Wilkes-Barre will travel to Providence for a pair of games before the teams rematch in the Sweetest Place on Earth.
